Cleaning of textile fiber tufts

Abstract

In order to remove dust from textile fiber tufts, the tufts are conveyed by an air-penetrable, continuously advancing screening element and a single stream of air is passed a plurality of times through the screening element in order to alternately mix with and become separated from the tufts and the stream is given a net flow in the direction opposite to the direction in which the tufts are being conveyed by the screening element.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a method for removing dust from textile fiber tufts while the tufts rest on, and are conveyed in a conveying direction by, an air-penetrable, continuously advancing screening element, by alternately and repeatedly mixing the tufts with, and separating the tufts from, cleaning air, the improvement wherein said steps of mixing and separating are carried out by providing the cleaning air in the form of a single stream which passes through the screening element and the tufts thereon a plurality of times transverse to the conveying direction with each passage being opposite in direction to the preceding passage, so as to cross the conveying path several times in succession and remove dust from the tufts, and by causing the stream of air to have a net flow opposite to the conveying direction. 
     
     
       2. Method as defined in claim 1 further comprising adding fresh air to the stream of air. 
     
     
       3. Method as defined in claim 1 further comprising filtering the stream of air at least once between a separating step and subsequent mixing step. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus for removing dust from textile fiber tufts, comprising: a continuously advancing, air-penetrable screening element for supporting textile fiber tufts and conveying such tufts in a conveying direction along a conveying path; means for delivering textile fiber tufts to said element at the inlet end of the conveying path; means for withdrawing textile fiber tufts from said element at the outlet end of the conveying path; means defining a plurality of air deflection channels disposed adjacent said element at the side thereof on which the textile fiber tufts are supported and spaced along the conveying path; and air guidance means disposed at the opposite end of said element from said air deflection channels and connected between a pressurized air delivery source and an air evacuation device, said air guidance means cooperating with said deflection channels to establish a single air flow stream which passes through the screening element and the tufts thereon a plurality of times transverse to the conveying direction, with each passage being opposite in direction to the preceding passage, so as to cross the conveying path several times in succession and remove dust from the tufts, and said air guidance means being connected to the air delivery source and the air evacuation device at locations such as to cause the air flow stream to have a net flow opposite to the conveying direction between the air delivery source and the air evacuation device. 
     
     
       5. An arrangement as defined in claim 4 further comprising a dust filter connected in the path of the air flow stream between successive air deflection channels. 
     
     
       6. Method as defined in claim 1 wherein the stream of air is caused to have a net flow opposite to the conveying direction by causing each successive mixing step and separating step to occur at a region which is upstream of the region of the preceding mixing and separating, with respect to the conveying direction.